Thursday, June 27, 2013

In America’s quest for freedom, the case of John Peter Zenger is a milestone. Journalism students learn that the trial was the first major court test over freedom of the press. What they probably don’t know is that the case was won by the eloquence and acumen of Andrew Hamilton, perhaps the most able lawyer in the American colonies at the time.

Zenger was a New York printer. Four Scots named Alexander, Morris, Smith and Golden asked Zenger if he would print their New York Weekly Journal with James Alexander as editor. He agreed. Alexander’s editorials roasted New York Governor William Cosby, who was heartily disliked for being arbitrary and unfair.

Andrew Hamilton was born in Scotland about 1676. Other than that his early life is shrouded in mystery. He emigrated to Virginia about 1697. There he married a well-to-do widow and practiced law. Later he moved to Philadelphia.

Governor Cosby was outraged by Alexander’s attacks, but jailed Zenger as owner of the printing establishment. The trial judge, a friend of Cosby’s, wanted to confine the issue to whether Zenger printed libel and lies as charged.

Hamilton was called in on the case and rejected the court’s hypothesis. He insisted that the jury had the right to decide the truth or falsity of the charges. Hamilton’s defense included a polemic on press freedom as a control over tyranny no matter what the source.

To tumultuous applause, the jury returned a verdict of “not guilty.” Hamilton was also a founder of the colonial postal service. He died April 16, 1741, at Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

Though he is virtually unknown, the role he played in the Zenger case made a lasting contribution to the doctrine of freedom of the press in America.

(The above information was taken from the Scottish American Hall of Fame, maintained by the Illinois St. Andrew and located in North Riverside, Illinois a suburb of Chicago. The Hall of Fame was the work of James C. Thomson, former editor of the "Prairie Farmer." He was a friend and greatly missed.)

The Annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.

Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families.

Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. Tina Beaird will meet us at the cemetery and she is an expert on this entire area. Tina is the Reference Librarian at the Plainfield Public Library. She is also a Blackhawks fan.Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. You can register using our secure website, call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516. Don’t be Scottish and wait til the last day. Call now!

Monday, June 17, 2013

James Michie was born in 1806 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He married Margaret Katherine Guthrie who was from the area around Huntly, Scotland. They emigrated in 1835 to Boston, Massachusetts and from Boston came to the Township of Lyons in Cook County, Illinois. He was an original land owner in the County owning 123 acres, and paying $3.50 per acre. It is unclear what inspired them to make the long and difficult trip, and I don’t know the exact location of their farm.

James Michie most likely attended the first St. Andrew’s Day dinner in Chicago in 1845 although a list is not available. He was elected president of the Society in 1847 becoming the third person to serve in that capacity. He must have been an educated man although I know nothing of his life in Scotland. An honest man who could read, write and do math was very valuable to his community. The majority of the frontier people were illiterate.

A very active man in serving his community, he was one of the first officers of his township. In 1850, he was elected town clerk and Justice of the Peace. He owned the first private road in the county with Eden Eaton and Samuel Vail. In 1855 he was elected as “Overseer of the Poor.” He started the first public school in Summit, Illinois in 1846. He was a member of the Board of Commissioners for Cook County from August 1845 to August 1848 and was a member of the Board of Education in Chicago.

James Michie and Margaret Guthrie had 11 children but only three children lived to adulthood: Jane, John Charles and Katherine MacGregor. Margaret Guthrie Michie died in 1873 and her husband, James Michie, died in 1876. They are both buried in the St. James cemetery at the Sag Canal. One of their descendants lives in Oak Park and has his original membership certificate as a charter member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. If she is able to attend the History Tour she may bring along the framed certificate. I saw it several years ago but have forgotten what it looks like.

It is fascinating how Scots are connected. For instance John McGlashan was a brother-in-law to James Michie and he was president of the St. Andrew’s Society in 1853. We have little information about John McGlashan except he may have been an early Chicago farmer living at 22nd street and the Chicago River.

Here is another interesting connection: Katherine MacGregor Michie married David Francis Bremner on November 30, 1865 in Chicago. He was born in 1839 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and was of Scottish descent. He came to Chicago at the age of nine and when the Civil War began, he served with the 19th Illinois regiment. It was he who raised the flag on Missionary Ridge. Not completely confirmed but David F. and Katherine may also be buried at St. James.

Thanks to a grant from The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust, we now have the Scottish American Museum on line. In the museum there is a picture of young James Michie and he looks a lot like Robert Burns. Here is how to access the museum and see the photograph.

Go to: chicagoscots.net
On the left side click on "museum"
In the first line, click on “PastPerfect web site”
In the “search box” type in the name “Michie”
To see the entire collection of over 1,000 items, click on “Random Search”

Years ago, I was in touch with Tawnya Michie Kumarakulasingam who lived in Lawrence, Kansas. She was a direct descendant of James Michie through his son, John Charles. Her husband is from Moolai, Sri Lanka. She sent a large amount of information about the family which I can bring on the tour is anyone is interested.

The annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.

Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families. Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. There are always surprises along the way.

Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. To register call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

You are receiving this Blog today because it is D-Day. This is the day that 150,000 Allied soldiers landed on the shores of Normandy. It was a massive force; 5,000 ships stretched as far as the eye could see. From British airfields, 800 planes carried over 13,000 men consisting of six parachute regiments. That was preceded by 13,000 bombs being dropped immediately ahead of the invasion. By nightfall 9,000 soldiers, many Americans, were either dead or wounded.

This past Friday, I drove to Springfield, Illinois to attend the funeral of one soldier who landed on D-Day. Stephen L. Gasparin was born July 5, 1921, in the mountains of south-east Oklahoma. He died May 28, 2013. Pam Crombie, his daughter, lives in Winthrop Harbor with her husband Jack. They are a Life Members of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society.

I don’t know the entire story about Stephen Gasparin, but he served with the 5th Infantry Division which came under the command of General George A. Patton. “He fought during the brutal winter in the Ardennes mountain range in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. His division fought their way across Germany becoming the first to cross the Rhine on the night of March 22, 1945. They drove across Germany liberating concentration camps and stopping at the Czechoslovak border as the war ended. He left the army with five Bronze Stars for bravery in action.”

In 2012, Mr. Gasparin was recognized by France for his bravery by naming him a “knight (chevalier) in the National Order of the Legion of Honor.” It is the highest recognition given by the French government and it is a beautiful medal. When war broke out he tried to enlist but was deferred because he was a tool-and-die maker in Detroit. On his second attempt it was discovered that he was color-blind. The doctor said: “don’t you worry about that. We’ll put you right up front where you can see everything." And they did. Two of his strongest memories were: “praying on his unit’s departure for France for all the soldiers who’d never go home, and the reaction from French citizens as Allied soldiers pushed German forces out of their communities.”

Mr, Gasparin was buried with full military honors in the Camp Butler National Cemetery. As we made our way to the cemetery, I was impressed with the citizens of Springfield who stopped their cars as the procession moved by. Only one car passed the long line of mourners and we were on a boulevard at the time. It was as if they knew a hero was passing. I didn’t even mind the heavy rain in view of the suffering that soldiers endured during the Battle of the Bulge.

There are days about World War II that I will never forget. One is D-Day and the sacrifices made so the world would be free from oppression. The other is December 7 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The next day sitting in the auditorium of a school, we listened to the distinctive voice of President Roosevelt and his “Day of Infamy” speech. I can still hear the voices of Roosevelt and Churchill today.

If you are a veteran of WW II and served in the military or the Merchants Marines, would you please contact me? I am compiling a list of veterans. You can contact me by email or call my home office at 630-629-4516.

P.S. We had a most enjoyable History Club meeting this past Saturday as we paid tribute to our veterans. John LeNoble lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and then gave us an excellent summary of his trip to Washington and the WW II monument. We were also privileged to have Mike and Mary Jane Cole as speakers. They are heavily involved as volunteers with the Honor Flight Chicago program. It was a very good day.

The annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.

Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families. Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. There are always surprises along the way.

Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. To register call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516.